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Corbin likely to miss most of 2015's first half

D-backs pitcher Patrick Corbin was on hand to give out his very own bobblehead on Patrick Corbin Bobblehead Night at Chase Field

By Adam Lichtenstein
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MLB.com |

PHOENIX -- D-backs fans shouldn't expect Patrick Corbin back on the mound any time in the near future.

Manager Kirk Gibson said Tuesday that Corbin's likely return date would be June 2015, and Corbin confirmed the news on Wednesday.

"I figured [I would] probably miss a month or so of next season," Corbin said.

Corbin, who had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in March, said he will start a throwing program on Sept. 8 and throw for about two months before shutting down the arm until January.

"I'm going to try to be as ready as I can, and we'll see," Corbin said.

Corbin, a 2013 All-Star in his second season, is one of five D-backs pitchers who are on the disabled list after having the elbow reconstruction procedure -- the others being Bronson Arroyo, David Hernandez, Daniel Hudson and Matt Reynolds.

"We've got a lot of guys going through it together," Gibson said. "So they're able to keep each other pumped up and on track."

Corbin said he and Hernandez have had the most to commiserate about, as they're in similar stages of recovery, while Hudson and Reynolds are ahead of them.

"It makes things easier, to ask those guys questions," Corbin said. "They've gone through everything we've gone through. … The biggest thing is you can talk to them about how you're arm's feeling and what to expect."

Hudson certainly knows the deal. He hasn't pitched the Majors since 2012 after having two surgeries on his right elbow, but he is the closest to returning and is currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno, where he pitched a scoreless inning on Tuesday.

Gibson said after this spate of elbow injuries, the organization is going to be more conservative with its pitchers. Part of that includes going to a six-man rotation to close out this season.

"It makes sense, given the challenge that lies ahead of us and wanting to keep guys going," Gibson said. "You're giving them another day to recover. I think you're trying to be cautious by doing that.

"There's been so much talk about guys getting hurt -- Why does it happen? What can you do to prevent it? -- that we're trying to be somewhat proactive in giving guys extra time to recover."

Adam Lichtenstein is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.